Germany to Dominate European Football?

June 11, 2013

1. prestigious [pre-STIJ-uhs, -STIJ-ee-uhs, -STEE-juhs, -STEE-jee-uhs] (adj.) – having a good or high reputation

Example: The Olympics is very prestigious because of its high standards and security measures.

2. reign[reyn] (v.) – to become the best or the most powerful

Example: The team that reigns over the world’s football field has millions of supporters.

3. hype[hahyp] (n.) – exaggerated or overstated publicity

Example: The media hype about the upcoming sports event started after all tickets for the game were sold.

4. lag [lag] (v.) – to fall behind or be in a position that is behind others

Example: The crowd was disappointed when the top scorer lagged during the game.

5. league[leeg] (n.) – a group of sports teams that play against each other

Example: The members of the league are organizing a specialsports event for its members.

【Article】

ニュース記事

Read the text below.

The recent dominance of German Football clubs in the prestigious Champions League 2013 makes people think that Germany now reigns in the football arena.

Champions League 2013 is an event in which top football clubs in Europe compete against one another. The league recently held a match at Wembley [WEM-blee] Stadium where two German football teams, namely the Bayern Munich [MYOO-nik] and Borussia Dortmund from Bundesliga [bun-dez-li-GA], competed.

With all the hype and excitement that happened in the match, the reports consulted statistics to check if the said perception about Germany is indeed true.

Bayern has had a total of four European cups, in which the last one was in 2001. Only two other German Clubs have also championed the league. England, however, has won a total of five championships.

All in all, Germany has won only 6 championships, lagging behind Italy and England with 12 and Spain with 13.

Considering the numbers mentioned, results are not in Germany’s favor. However, judgments should not be final because no one can still match Germany’s consistency in the World Cup, having a record of 12 top four finishes.

Germany’s good image in the field of football has been attributed mainly to the young footballers in the country. Many say Germany's system of encouraging young players caused the country’s football success.

Another reason is Germany's ability to deal with the economic crisis that has also affected other nations. Despite the crisis, Bundesliga is still considered as one of the best managed leagues in the world today.

【Viewpoint Discussion】

ディスカッションテーマ

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

·How do you think winning an international competition affects a country?

·How can having a positive image affect a sports team (i.e. if many people believe your team is a strong force to compete with)?

Discussion B

·How do you think does economy affect sports leagues in a country? Please explain your answer.

·Do you think sports leagues in your country need more support? Why or why not?